Nicci

Leaks are often associated with increased heart rate, fever etc (from what I have read) and also the stomach is on the left side of the body (anatomically speaking). It is possible for your pain to be radiating from the left side of your body to the right side, thats what I experienced with my gall bladder and it confused my doc at first because the gallbladder is on the left and I had no left sided pain. 4ALongerLife have you discussed the possibility of having your surgeon fix the leak with a stent? From what I have read this generally heals the leak (I am doing sooooo much research before I have my surgery that I am beginning to feel like a walking encyclopedia for WLS, lol!).

have you done anything that could have aggravated the site? Pulled a muscle, stood up funny, lifted something heavier than what you are suppose to?

I find myself to ow be the one i the pre-op position, constantly debating and struggling internally with myself if this is something I should do (or not do). Given the 3 specific percentages quoted here I have done all 3 and survived...so I should be good for this too, or have I pressed my luck enough and if I choose to do this my number will be up?!?

Actually there are quite a few morbidly obese senior citizens in Wisconsin, lol darn cheese! Trust me I know, I have had to lift my share of them in the hospital and for a brief period when I worked in a nursing home. Thank you though for the well wishes, being "average" size is something I want and the only way to get what you want is to go after it! Honestly the whole guy being able to pick me up and spin me around is one of the things I am looking forward to post-op. It seems so silly (and yeah I could probably find some huge body builder guy who could do that to me at my current weight) but that is my biggest off scale victory that I am looking forward to, next to being able to cross my legs :-)

My 6y/o daughter cried when someone told her she was just like her mom (they meant her personality) because she thought it was their way of calling her fat. She was constantly telling me I'm too big and she even excluded me from a picture she drew at school of her family because I was too big I wouldn't fit on the page with her dad, brother, sister and herself. (Yeah I cried when no one was looking). After having decided to go through with this surgery I feel better about the way she views me now because I know it wont be forever. The other night though, we were watching the actual procedure on youtube and she came in to the room and apparently started watching it as well because the next thing I know I'm hearing her say "That's NOT going to happen mom! There is no way I am letting someone hurt you like that and make you bleed. You're not having that surgery." LOL, well yes I am having this surgery and it will make all of our lives better! It just seemed so weird to see how her young opinion changed so quickly once she seen what it actually involved, she decided she would rather have a fat mom then to let her mom go through all that. She doesn't have a choice in the matter, but it was very sweet to know she was concerned for me.

is the coffee thing just because of how acidic it is? If thats the case I would imagine at some point your stomach will be able to handle it again, would you think so? I mean like once the wound is completely healed. IDK I'm no nutritionist, or is it the caffeine? If thats the case could you still drink it so long as it was decaf? I don't think potato's will be out of my diet forever, I suspect I may have a bite or two of them at holiday meals (I mean c'mon who is going to eat a christmas salad instead of a christmas ham? lol) but it will definitely be in moderation!!!!

lol I was smiling through this entire post. I often fantasize about what life will be like post-op. I will admit I never thought there could be a brain and body disconnect like you described, but I suppose that is a very real possibility that I should begin to mentally prepare myself for (if preparation is at all possible!). I can only imagine what it will feel/be like when a guy can actually physically pick me up and twirl me around....*sigh*.... for now it's just a dream but I swear I am going to bring that dream in to reality! Being overweight has never stopped me from having relationships BUT I has stopped me from having the RIGHT relationships! Always settling and never demanding what I deserve, tolerating way more garbage than I ever should have. I can't wait to be on the other side of WLS and love what I see in the mirror, and eventhough I know I could technically still do it now I avoid horseback riding...I guess I just feel like at my current weight it would be considered cruelty to animals, but when this weight comes off post-op I am looking forward to going for a long horse ride!!!

I know that the er horror stories are often exaggerated, lol, my mom was an er nurse for many years, now shes an educator. I think she is only against the idea of me having this surgery because they use to teach their er nurses that when a WLS patient comes in with a sense of impending doom chances are the patient will expire. But you're right, soooo much has change in WLS in just the last 10 years alone! I will try to remember what you said if my recovery nurse panics, lol, I was way to groggy to be sarcastic (and her fear poured over in to me. I was hoping she would tell me not to worry about it, that it was another patient but no she admitted it was I whom had the elevated HR, btw thats how out of it I was at that point I couldn't even feel my heart taking off and I'm a sensitive one, my anxiety keeps me in pretty good tune with the rest of my body). I believe at this point I have decided to move forward and stay on the surgical path. I deserve to have a full and long life, and to enjoy the life I lead without trying to avoid photos and hiding behind someone else on the rare occasion I allow someone to take my picture. I deserve to love what I see in the mirror. I am worthy of all of this, even if I am terrified. I feel like this is a "leap of faith" for me and I just have to trust in my doctors and listen closely to my body so that I get medical intervention if necessary (even if it means finding a different bariatric surgeon post-op because the surgeon who did the procedure isn't listening to me, as Miss Iggychic did! And good for her for continuing to push, she listened to her body and did everything she could to get the help she needed.). 321 lbs isn't ok for my relatively small frame to carry around for long!

Wow I wasn't aware that the hormones for hunger would/could potentially come back! Huh....I know I don't want multiple procedures (I hate the idea of going under for any reason, but I can buck up when I have to).

I have been following that very same post! Thats the one that made me "re-think" what I was getting myself in to as well.

Yup, that's the one that ALMOST did me in. I am slowly finding some confidence in going through with this, I have even spoken with "Iggy" via private messages and she said even knowing what she does now she would still encourage me to do it simply because of where I'm at (321...although today at the doc it was 320, lol hey 1lb counts man!), and that she was much smaller than I when she initiated this process.

Thank you soooo much for your support and encouragement. It truly means a lot to me, I have a lot of negative people in my life which I am assuming will change when/if I do go through with the surgery, I have heard of many people whose friends turned out not to truly be their friends but in fact their frenemies, or significant others whom just couldn't handle the new and improved partner. It's a breath of fresh air to come on here and actually be supported and encouraged no matter what decision I make!

That is soooo wonderful to hear!!! I find it comforting to know that the two foods I will miss the most can still be eaten as an occasional treat, and ya know I never thought about going without the bun....perhaps I will start to do that even pre-op :-)